“I’ve always had a love for animals and believe these wild creatures have messages for us. Specifically, to nurture our fragile earth and make it our duty to preserve it. My awe of these wild creatures led me to create paintings that attempt to harness their energy. I find my best ideas come in the early morning just before waking. This hazy dream state is where I draw inspiration and these subtle messages deeply inform my painting practice. Stillness and meditation have become the means for my work where I can draw on memories and reflections. I’m fascinated with color and building layers of translucent paint to create depth and luminosity. All my paintings have a dreamlike quality to them. They serve to create a joyful, childlike state of mind where the viewer might experience a moment where dreams connect with reality.” Biography Jen Singh was born in St. Joseph, Michigan in 1969. Her earliest childhood memories were spent at her grandmother’s blueberry farm and on Lake Michigan. There was freedom to wander the fields and feed the imagination. Her love of nature and wildlife expanded from road trips out west and northern Michigan with her family. She had her first art lesson at 15, working with pastels and charcoal. Those first subjects included landscapes of the lake, dunes, and her first animal drawing: a hunting dog holding a duck in its mouth. Jen went on to study illustration at Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, MI. Her journey took her to the South where she began freelance illustration followed by exhibit and graphic design and art direction. She became involved in her community and served in leadership roles in the Atlanta Graphic Artists Guild and Avondale Arts Alliance. For several years, Jen hosted an annual art and makers show out of her home and studio. In 2014, she opened a brick and mortar boutique, Garage Door Studio, in Avondale Estates, GA that features local art and makers. It was a dream to own this creative space where she currently sells her paintings, leads workshops, curates the shop and mentors emerging artists. I’ve always been drawn to the wild and unpredictable patterns of nature. Growing up in the Midwest near Lake Michigan, I never took good weather for granted. The seasons defined my life, and I craved warm, sunny days more than anything. Dark, moody clouds and stark winter scenes turned to waves of wildflowers and golden dunes again and again. These constant changes in my visual landscape helped me to appreciate living in the present. I moved to the south right after college and then began traveling abroad. I craved changes in scenery constantly. Animals have often been a subject in my work and have led to learning about symbolism in nature and the significance behind a creature encounter or dream. Listening and paying attention to subtle messages from the universe has deeply informed my painting practice. The use of mixed media and collage allows me to build layers of history and delights me whenever imagery emerges. I’m finding that taking cues from nature is easy. My journey is about learning to see, finding awareness and painting my story.